60% turnout in third phase of Lok Sabha polls in Bihar

PATNA: An estimated 60% of the 89.99 lakh voters exercised their franchise and sealed the fate of altogether 82 candidates in Araria, Madhepura, Supaul, Jhanjharpur and Khagaria parliamentary constituencies in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar on Tuesday. There was no report of violence from anywhere in the state. But a man died due to lightning while on his way to cast vote under Forbesganj assembly segment in Araria parliamentary constituency.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Bihar, H R Srinivasa said the 60% voter turnout is about 1.0 % higher than in the 2014 general election.Supaul recorded the highest 62.80% voter turnout, followed by Araria (62.34%), Madhepura (59.12%), Khagaria (58.83%) and Jhanjharpur (56.92%).
Srinivasa said in 2014, there was 62.24 % polling in Supaul, 60.46% in Araria, 60.46% in Madhepura, 58.08% in Khagaria and 55.99 % in Jhanjharpur constituencies. A total of 59.08% polling was recorded in the five constituencies in 2014 polls, he said. The first and second phase of polls had recorded 53.06% and 62.52% voter turnout, respectively.
He said altogether 46 persons were detained and 36 vehicles seized. Besides, Rs1.36 lakh and Nepali currency worth Rs9.49 lakh were recovered during vehicle checking drive. One MI-17 chopper was pressed into service to keep a watch on troublemakers in riverine belts, the CEO said.
Police had to use force to quell a mob trying to disrupt the poll process at a booth in Forbesganj assembly segment of Araria. The voters of Khutauna in Jhanjharpur boycotted the poll when they found around 600 names missing from the electoral roll. But the CEO said there was no poll boycott complaint. However, complaints related to malfunctioning of EVMs were disposed of immediately.
Prominent among the contestants in the third phase included Sharad Yadav (RJD), sitting MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav and Dinesh Chandra Yadav (JDU) in Madhepura, Vikasheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahani and LJP’s Choudhary Mehboob Ali Kaiser in Khagaria, Congress’s Ranjeet Ranjan in Supaul and Sarfaraz Alam in Araria.
The third phase is considered important both for CM Nitish Kumar and incarcerated RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Madhepura will prove a litmus test for both the leaders. Pappu had won the seat in 2014 on an RJD ticket by defeating Sharad Yadav, who was then a JD(U) candidate. This time Sharad is an RJD nominee while Pappu is an independent candidate.
Former MP Devendra Prasad Yadav is contesting as Samajwadi Janata Dal (Democratic) candidate from Jhanjharpur, which has a sizeable number of Yadav-Muslim votes. The NDA has fielded Rampreet Mandal of JD(U) while Gulab Mandal is the RJD nominee.
In Araria, Pradeep Kumar Singh of BJP is pitted against sitting RJD MP Sarfaraz Alam. In Supaul, Ranjeet Ranjan of Congress is facing a tough challenge from Dilkeshwar Kamait of JD(U).
Central paramilitary forces, Bihar Military Police and Special Auxiliary Police personnel were deployed at 9,076 polling booths in the five seats where 57,800 poll personnel were deputed for peaceful polls.
A couple was thrashed in full public view outside a polling booth under Singheshwarsthan assembly segment in Supaul when they didn’t follow the diktats of the supporters of a particular candidate. The couple has been admitted to the local primary health centre for treatment.